Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-05-13
IN A BURNING MINE.

LIN 4 DUnNlNu MlNG.
FULLY ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY
MINERS IMPRISONED AT NANAI'
MO. B. C.--THIRTEEN KNOWN
TO BE DEAD.
NANAMo, b. c., May 5.-All day
Yesterday gangs Of men were en-
gagged in strenuous efforts to sub
due the flames in No. shaft OF tue
Victoria Coal Co., where an ex'
plosion occurred on Tuesday night.
At / p. m. it was thought that they
had the fire under control. The
Merri weather steam fire-engine did
good work, pumping water from
the barber down the shaft, the hand
6re-engiue having been taken down
the mine to fight the fire from the
level. 1t will be impossible to
make an attempt to get at the I'M
prisoned men until the fire is sub
dued, for by doing soft would drive
the gas on to the FIRE and cause a
second disaster. There is but little
hope of rescuing the men alive,
but an effort will be made at the
first possible moment to reach the
imprisoned miners. Over One'half
the injured and imprisoned men
leave wives and families to mourn
their untimely end.
A LARGE NUMBER OF CHINAMEN
IN THE NINE.
1t is estimated that there are
between fifty and seventy'hve
Cinnamon in the mine.
Jules Michael, one Of the injured
stated that he was sitting in his
cabin, at supper, in No. shaft.
He felt the conclusion. All scram'
bled out. He became insenslble.
Only one of his four companions
was saved. The dead bodies OF
the others came mp in the cage
with him. Several of those rescu-
ed hardly appreciate their miracu-
lous escape, owing to the dazed
feeling which characterized all who
came ont of the deadly pit. Mi.
cbael was only fifteen yards from
the entrance to the shaft when the
explosion occurred. He represents
it as something terrific. All be-
came darkness.
John Lynch was badly injured
about the face and hands and had
his hin fractured. His mind has
been wandering since the accident.
1t is thought that he will not re-
cover. The others were not Sc
riously injured, though badly sha-
ken up. Samuel Hudson's heroic
death is unaccOuntable. He was a
miner of great experience, while
those who went down with him to
rescue their fellows were compare
lively inexperienced. He died
from the effects Of after-damp. His
brave deed was one OF the bright
things in this carnival OF mystery.
All day yesterday gangs of men
were endeavoring to extinguish the
flames in No. 1 shaft, aud the fire
there is believed to be under con.
troll. Fears are entertained Of a
second explosion of gas, which
might blow the whole place mp,
and old miners say that such a re.
suit is possible. If so the catastro'
phe would be the greatest recorded
in the history of coal mining.
NO HOPE OF REscUING THE I'M
PRIsONED MEN.
All hope of rescuing any one III
the mines has been long ago aban
doned. 1t is thought that all the
men can do is being done to reach
them. 1t was at first thought Of
cutting a ditch to the salt water
so as to attempt to put out the fire
in No. 2 shaft by turning a stream
of water into it, but the scheme
was abandoned. 1t would only
food the mine, rendering it practi
cally useless for year, and woulC
Danish any hope there might be o.
saving the lives ofmen. The mines
extend out from the shore more
than a mile beneath the waters o
the harbor, and as one looks Owe
the placid waves he cannot imagine
that beneath are imprisoned many
dead fathers and sons Of eighty
families of this little city. AROUND
the shaft
THE SCENES ARE BORROWING II
THE EXTREME.
AS each cage come up anxiou
faces look for glad tidings that neve
come, and the hope that there is &
prospect for the dear ones who dice
at the post of duty is soon dispelled
Mr.. Ryden and Mr.. Scott, of thu
Wellington mines, went down yes
terday afternoon, at the immlnen
risk of their lives, to endeavor Il
make an investigation as to th
manner of procedure.
A CITY IN MOURNING.
A pail hangs over the CITY
Business houses are closed, co
; lieries shat up, and the entire pop
ulation is gathered at the scene O
the disaster. Frantic wives, terro
stricken children, and sorrowiD
fathers hover in the vicinity an
3 mourn over their terrible affiictlOT